UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   1.0 S  ANGELES 


ROBERT  ERNEST  COWAN 


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YE  ON'S  TEN  HUNDRED 
SORROWS 

AND  OTHER  STORIES 


BY 
MARY  T.  VAN   DENBURGH 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

THE    MURDOCK    PRESS 
1907 


3/14 


Contents 

Page 

Ye  On's  Ten  Hundred  Sorrows    .    .    5 
The  Doll  of  the  White  Devils1  .    .    15 

The  Exiles2 23 

See  Wah's  New  Year3  35 


1  Permission  The  Land  of  Sunshine  (Out  West) 

2  Permission  The  Era 

3  Permission  The  Churchman 


Ye  On's  Ten  Hundred  Sorrows 

'E  ON  had  attained  the  dignity  of  a 
school  name,  and  went  to  his  lessons 
wearing  the  long  blue  apron  of  a 
schoolboy.  He  considered  himself 
quite  grown  up,  and  did  not  like  to  be  bothered 
with  little  A-sam,  whose  feet  toddled  around  in 
the  kitten  shoes  in  which  he  had  learned  to 
walk,  and  who,  during  his  short  life,  had  been 
called  only  by  a  babyish  number.  Then,  too, 
when  Ye  On  was  not  burdened  with  the  care 
of  his  brother,  he  could  spend  the  afternoon 
in  the  shop  where  his  father  worked,  for  the 
boy's  knowledge  of  the  strange  language  and 
peculiar  ways  of  the  "foreign  devils"  who  came 
in  search  of  wonderful  teapots  and  queer  bowls 
was  more  extensive  than  that  of  the  elder 
Chinese,  and  they  were  glad  of  his  help.  To 
tend  store  was  joy;  to  tend  baby  misery;  and 
Yc  On  never  knew  which  might  be  his  fate 
until  his  mother  informed  him  on  his  return 

5 


YE    ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

from  school, — for  when  A-sam  was  quiet  and 
well  behaved  the  mother  was  willing  he  should 
stay  with  her,  but  when  he  was  restless  and 
fretful  Ye  On  must  take  him  out  and  amuse 
him. 

One  day,  when  he  particularly  wanted  to  go 
to  the  shop,  but  found  the  baby  all  ready  to  be 
taken  for  an  airing,  Ye  On  flew  into  a  sudden 
passion.  He  felt  that  it  would  be  a  relief  if  he 
could  pound  or  pinch  little  A-sam,  but  knowing 
from  previous  experiments  that  the  resulting 
howls  would  betray  him,  he  looked  around  for 
some  one  else  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon. 
Ah!  there  was  the  kitchen  god,  comfortable  and 
complacent  behind  the  stove.  Why  did  he  not 
arrange  things  more  satisfactorily?  In  an  in- 
stant Ye  On's  hand  was  in  a  bowl  of  water 
standing  temptingly  near,  and  the  picture  of  the 
kitchen  god  was  splashed  from  head  to  foot,  so 
that  the  red  of  his  girdle  began  to  run  into  the 
green,  of  his  robe,  while  the  pink  from  his  cheeks 
added  itself  to  the  mixture. 
6 


YE    ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 


At  the  sight  of  the  mischief  he  had  caused, 
Ye  On's  anger  left  him,  and  a  great  fear  came 
to  take  its  place.  He  had  in- 
sulted the  god  of  the  kitchen, 
who,  that  very  evening,  would 
ascend  to  heaven  to  make  his 
yearly  report  of  the  conduct 
of  the  members  of  the  family 
to  the  Pearly  Emperor.  What 
punishment  would  be  sent  to 
Ye  On  when  the  chief  of  all 
the  gods  should  hear  what  he 
had  done?  Filled  with  re- 
morse he  took  A-sam's  hand, 
and,  instead  of  dragging  him 
by  one  arm,  as  usual,  helped 
him  carefully  downstairs. 

But  it  was  no  better  out  in 
the  sunshine.    Ye  On  felt  more  and  more  unhap- 
py as  the  afternoon  passed.    Once  he  crept  up- 
stairs to  look  at  the  picture  of  the  offended  god; 
the  stains  had  dried  out  so  they  hardly  showed, 

7 


THE  KITCHEN  GOD 


YE   ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

but  Ye  On  imagined  that  the  eyes  above  the  pale 
cheeks  followed  him  reproachfully.  Then  he 
thought  of  something  he  might  do.  He  could 
spend  a  long-hoarded  nickel  for  sweets  to  add 
to  the  feast  to  be  spread  before  the  departing 
deity.  Clutching  the  coin  tightly  he  hurried 
out  again,  and  he  and  A-sam,  after  much  de- 
liberation, made  a  purchase  of  some  gayly 
decorated  candy.  He  kept  the  child  on  the 
street  as  long  as  he  could,  because  he  dreaded 
to  return  to  the  following,  threatening  eyes  of 
the  god.  At  dusk  the  father,  coming  from  work, 
met  the  children  and  took  them  home. 

That  evening,  when  the  feast  was  prepared, 
the  candy  was  among  the  offerings,  and  after 
the  god  had  enjoyed  the  dainties  which  it  was 
hoped  would  send  him  off  in  good  humor,  his 
picture  was  taken  down,  placed  in  a  little  paper 
sedan-chair,  and  burned,  and  the  deity  of  the 
kitchen  ascended  in  the  smoke  to  heaven.  Ye 
On,  refusing  to  taste  the  candy, — which  there- 
fore fell  to  A-sam, — went  to  bed,  where  he 
8 


YE   ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

trembled  with  fright  at  the  thought  of  the  ter- 
rible things  that  would  happen  to  him  when  the 
kitchen  god's  story  should  be  told  to  the  Pearly 
Emperor. 

The  god  would  be  gone  several  days,  return- 
ing just  before  the  New  Year.  Would  he  wait 
to  bring  Ye  On's  punishment  with  him,  or  would 
he  send  it  immediately,  in  the  height  of  his 
wrath?  The  boy  never  doubted  that  it  would 
come.  He  waited  for  a  friend  in  whose  com- 
pany to  go  to  school;  at  any  rate,  the  kitchen 
god's  messenger  of  evil  should  not  catch  him 
alone.  After  school,  he  put  the  cap  with  the 
row  of  protecting  images  on  A-sam's  head,  and 
offered  to  take  him  to  walk.  The  two  rooms 
in  which  the  family  lived  were  undergoing  the 
annual  cleaning,  which  could  be  done  only  in 
the  absence  of  the  god  of  the  kitchen,  who  does 
not  like  dust  and  confusion,  so  that  the  mother 
was  glad  to  have  the  children  out  of  the  way. 
It  was  the  first  house-cleaning  A-sam  had  seen, 
and  he  was  so  much  interested  in  it  that  he  left 


YE   ON'S   TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

regretfully,  and  soon  begged  to  return.  Ye  On 
persuaded  him  to  stay  out  of  doors,  but  only  on 
condition  that  he  should  have  a  big  marble, 
which  he  feared  would  be  lost  in  the  chaos,  to 
keep  in  the  pocket  of  his  pink  calico  apron, 
where  he  could  feel  that  it  was  safe.  Ye  On 
climbed  the  stairs  in  search  of  this  cherished 
treasure,  which  it  took  some  time  to  find,  and 
when  he  went  back  to  the  doorway,  where  he 
had  left  A-sam.  the  child  had  disappeared.  Ye 
On's  heart  sank;  the  anger  of  the  kitchen  god 
had  fallen  upon  him,  and  through  him  upon  all 
the  family. 

Up  and  down  the  street  he  went,  looking 
everywhere  for  the  baby.  He  entered  the  house 
and  searched  the  halls  and  made  excuses  to  call 
on  the  neighbors ;  he  went  to  the  store,  and  again 
he  ran  through  the  streets,  this  time  going  far- 
ther from  home,  but  he  could  not  find  A-sam. 
He  was  too  frightened  to  tell  any  one  what  had 
happened,  or  to  arouse  curiosity  by  calling  the 
child's  name.  When  he  had  looked  everywhere, 
10 


YE   ON'S   TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

he  curled  himself  in  a  heap  on  the  sidewalk, 
imagining  the  most  dreadful  things.  A-sam  had 
been  kidnaped;  a  "foreign  devil"  had  stolen 
him;  he  had  wandered  away  to  the  bay  and 
been  drowned.  How  Ye  On  mourned  that  a 
moment  of  anger  had  brought  such  unhappiness! 
If  the  god  knew  how  very  sorry  he  was,  he 
would  surely  relent.  If  he  could  tell  him,  and 
promise  to  do  better  in  future!  But  the  god  was 
in  the  sky,  and  how  could  he  be  reached?  A 
prayer,  written,  and  then  burned?  It  might  get 
to  heaven,  but  Ye  On  was  not  sure.  A  rocket? 
Rockets  went  up,  but  they  flared  out  while  yet 
in  sight,  and  came  down  again.  An  appeal  to 
the  gods  in  the  temple?  There  were  plenty  of 
them,  but  they  were  not  kitchen  gods,  but  deities 
for  other  purposes,  and  Ye  On  had  no  money 
for  incense  or  candles  to  offer  them.  How  could 
he  tell  the  god  of  his  great  sorrow  and  repent- 
ance? 

Then    came    an    idea.      The    little    "foreign 
devils"  had  balls  of  red  and  blue  and  yellow 
ii 


YE   ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

which,  if  they  were  not  held  tightly  by  a  string, 
would  soar  away  into  the  clouds,  far  out  of 
sight,  to  heaven  itself.  If  only  he  could  obtain 
such  a  ball!  He  knew  where  there  was  a  man 
who  held  a  great  cluster  of  them,  and  sold  them 
one  by  one  to  those  who  came  to  buy.  Ye  On 
walked  slowly  down  the  hill,  drawn  towards 
the  balloons,  though  he  had  no  hope  of  getting 
one.  He  stood  looking  at  them  as  though  fas- 
cinated, when  he  saw  that  a  "foreign  devil"  was 
about  to  make  him  a  victim  of  a  picture-box. 
He  turned  to  run  away,  but  the  stranger  held  up 
a  quarter.  Here  was  a  chance!  What  if  he 
did  imperil  his  soul  by  having  his  likeness  taken? 
Two  bits  would  buy  a  flying  ball!  He  shud- 
dered as  the  camera  clicked,  and  made  the 
"foreign  devil"  laugh  at  his  anxiety  to  secure 
a  balloon  with  a  strong  pull.  Having  chosen 
one,  he  ran  up  the  hill  with  it  waving  over  his 
shoulder.  He  stopped  at  the  professional  letter- 
writer's,  where  he  borrowed  a  brush  and  begged 
a  sheet  of  paper  on  which  he  painstakingly 
12 


YE   ON'S    TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

inscribed  "ten  hundred  sorrows."  This  he  tied 
to  the  string  of  the  balloon,  and  finding  a  posi- 
tion free  overhead  from  entangling  wires,  he 
sent  the  ball  on  its  errand.  He  felt  hopeful  as 
the  beautiful  thing  ascended.  Surely  such  a 
peace-offering  would  help  the  god  to  forgive! 
All  this  had  taken  time,  and  the  days  were 
short,  so  that  it  was  dark  when  Ye  On  stole  into 
the  dreaded  presence  of  his  parents.  To  his 
amazement  they  showed  no  anxiety  or  displeas- 
ure. Ye  On  could  not  account  for  it,  unless 
the  kitchen  god,  having  received  and  accepted 
his  apology,  was  protecting  him  from  their 
anger.  The  boy  had  no  appetite  for  his  bowl  of 
rice,  and  after  a  miserable  evening  went  to  bed 
in  the  inner  room, — the  bed  he  had  shared  with 
little  A-sam.  Shaking  with  suppressed  sobs,  and 
feeling  that  his  punishment  was  more  than  he 
could  endure,  he  threw  himself  on  the  bed.  His 
hand  touched  another  hand,  small  and  soft  and 
warm.  His  face  pressed  against  another  face, 
plump  and  smooth,  its  curve  broken  by  a  flat 

13 


YE   ON'S   TEN    HUNDRED    SORROWS 

little  nose.  Was  he  dreaming  so  soon?  No  I 
for  the  small  hand  reached  around  his  neck, 
the  round  head  rested  on  his  shoulder,  and 
A-sam  lay  in  his  brother's  arms! 

Ye  On's  ten  hundred  sorrows  gave  place  to 
so  much  joy  that  his  faith  in  the  kitchen  god 
was  great  and  unquestioning.  And  when,  a  few 
days  later,  that  personage  was  welcomed  back 
to  a  spotless  home  fragrant  with  the  new  year's 
flowers,  and  his  bright  new  portrait  placed  on 
the  kitchen  wall,  Ye  On  thought  that  the  eyes 
had  a  different  expression.  Certain  it  is  that 
happiness  and  prosperity  were  with  the  family 
all  through  the  year,  and  Ye  On's  behavior  was 
so  good  that  the  record  of  it  was  satisfactory  to 
gods  and  men. 


The  Doll  of  the  White  Devils 

HOY  SUEY  lived  in  a  little  garret 
in  Chinatown.  Her  father  was  por- 
ter and  drudge  at  the  drug-store  on 
the  street  below,  and  worked  from 
early  morning  until  late  at  night,  so  Choy  Suey 
seldom  saw  him.  He  would  have  been  glad  of 
a  son;  the  little  girl  he  regarded  only  as  an 
expense  and  a  misfortune.  But  Ging  loved  her 
baby. 

When  Choy  Suey  awoke  in  the  morning  her 
mother  was  at  the  sewing-machine,  with  a  big 
pile  of  work  at  her  left  side.  The  machine 
rattled  away  most  of  the  day,  with  short  intervals 
of  rest  when  Ging  prepared  the  food  that  was 
necessary  for  their  existence.  As  each  piece  of 
work  was  finished,  it  was  transferred  to  her 
right,  and  this  pile  grew  larger  and  the  other 
smaller  as  the  day  wore  away;  but  Choy  Suey 
never  saw  the  pile  at  the  left  entirely  disposed 
of,  for  this  happened  long  after  she  had  lain 

15 


THE  DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

down  on  some  old  bedding  in  the  corner  and 
gone  to  sleep. 

So,  little  petting  and  few  amusements  fell  to 
the  lot  of  Choy  Suey.  The  neighboring  roofs 
shut  off  the  view  from  the  window.  She  was  not 
permitted  to  go  out  of  the  bare  room,  whose 
only  ornament  was  the  "Joss."  This  was  a  doll- 
like  figure  of  a  god,  in  a  box  with  a  glass  front. 
It  stood  on  a  shelf  at  one  end  of  the  room,  and 
before  it  were  some  incense-holders;  occasion- 
ally a  stick  of  incense  smoldered  there  and  added 
to  the  closeness  of  the  garret.  Choy  Suey  often 
longed  to  have  the  Joss  to  play  with. 

She  particularly  wanted  a  plaything  one 
warm  afternoon,  when  the  sun  shone  on  the  roof 
and  turned  the  garret  into  an  oven.  Ging's  bun- 
dle of  sewing  was  unusually  large;  so  large 
that  as  she  sat  at  the  machine  she  could  not  see 
the  door,  which  she  had  been  obliged  to  open 
for  air.  Choy  Suey  wandered  to  the  opening. 
The  sound  of  shuffling  footsteps  and  sing-song 
voices  coming  up  the  long  stairway  from  the 
16 


THE  DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

street  fascinated  the  lonely  child.  She  darted 
out  of  the  door,  and  sat  down  on  the  top  stair. 
The  rumble  of  the  cable  cars  and  the  clang  of 
the  bells  as  they  neared  the  street-crossing  added 
to  her  desire  to  see  what  was  going  on  in  the 
strange  outside  world.  She  put  her  feet  on  the 
third  step,  and  moved  her  seat  to  the  second. 
In  this  way  she  descended  the  long  flight,  and 
found  herself  at  the  street-door.  She  crouched 
at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  peered  out  at  the 
wonderful  sights. 

Soon  her  attention  was  attracted  by  a  little 
bundle  lying  on  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  her. 
Watching  a  chance  when  no  one  was  passing, 
she  went  slowly  and  hesitatingly  out  of  the  door, 
seized  the  package,  and  hurried  in  again  as  fast 
as  she  could.  She  sat  on  the  stairs,  and  took 
off  the  string  and  paper,  revealing  an  object  of 
marvelous  beauty.  It  was  only  a  cheap  little 
doll,  lost  by  some  careless  child,  but  Choy  Suey 
thought  it  far  handsomer  than  Joss;  for  it  had 
lovely  red  cheeks,  charming  blue  eyes,  and  long, 

'7 


THE   DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

soft  hair.  Then  its  clothing  was  so  fine!  Choy 
Suey  laid  it  down  to  examine  the  shoes  and 
stockings, — and  oh,  wonder!  the  eyes  closed  and 
the  doll  was  asleep!  Choy  Suey  lifted  the 
strange  creature,  and  it  awoke  immediately. 
This  was  repeated  again  and  again;  the  child 
was  oblivious  to  all  but  the  doll.  She  forgot 
the  people  in  the  street;  forgot  the  garret  room 
and  Ging  at  her  sewing-machine;  for  her 
the  world  consisted  of  a  doorstep  and  a  little 
doll. 

The  afternoon  slipped  away,  the  fog  rolled 
in  from  the  ocean,  the  draft  up  the  stairway 
was  cold  and  damp,  and  Choy  Suey  was  thinly 
dressed.  At  dusk  she  fell  asleep,  and  the  passers 
did  not  notice  the  small  shivering  heap. 

At  the  usual  time  for  the  evening  meal,  Ging 
rose  wearily  and  looked  around  for  the  little 
girl.  To  her  amazement  she  was  not  there. 
Ging  went  downstairs,  found  the  baby,  carried 
her  up,  and  laid  her  in  a  corner.  Then  she 
hastily  ate  some  food,  and  resumed  her  sewing. 
18 


THE  DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

After  a  couple  of  hours  Choy  Suey  began  to 
toss  and  moan,  and  soon  her  choking,  gasping 
breath  made  itself  heard  above  the  noise  of  the 
machine.  Ging  went  to  her,  took  her  in  her 
arms  and  tried  to  quiet  her;  but  the  choking 
grew  worse  and  Ging  was  alarmed.  She  went 
down  to  the  drug-store,  where  she  bought  some 
dried  lizards,  a  sure  remedy  for  sore  throat. 
Even  this  did  not  help  Choy  Suey.  As  she  lifted 
the  child  from  one  arm  to  the  other,  the  mother 
felt  a  hard  lump  under  the  little  calico  apron. 
She  drew  it  out,  and  found  it  was  a  doll,  dressed 
in  foreign  clothing.  She  snatched  it  away  in 
horror.  Some  "white  devil"  had  given  the  child 
this  thing  to  make  her  ill  and  perhaps  kill 
her. 

She  placed  the  doll  on  the  shelf  before  the 
Joss,  hoping  by  his  influence  to  counteract  the 
evil,  but  she  grew  more  and  more  anxious,  for 
Choy  Suey  was  breathing  with  so  much  diffi- 
culty that  it  seemed  as  if  her  strength  must  soon 
be  exhausted. 

19 


THE  DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

Ging  began  to  carry  her  up  and  down  the 
room,  for  she  appeared  a  trifle  more  comfort- 
able when  she  walked  with  her.  A  few  steps 
took  her  the  length  of  the  room;  then  she  turned, 
and  continued  her  march  back  and  forth.  At 
one  of  the  turns,  before  the  Joss,  Choy  Suey, 
unseen  by  her  mother  reached  out  her  hand  and 
took  the  doll.  Then  she  rolled  over  and  nestled 
her  head  against  her  mother;  presently  her 
breathing  became  easier,  and  she  fell  asleep. 
When  Ging,  after  carefully  arranging  the  old 
blanket,  placed  the  baby  on  it,  she  saw  the  doll 
in  the  wide  sleeve,  where  it  had  caught  when 
the  little  hand  relaxed  in  sleep.  Here  was  a 
wonderful  thing!  What  did  it  mean? 

It  was  evident  that  the  god  was  not  angry, 
for  he  had  cured  the  child.  But  how  did  it 
happen  that  the  doll  that  Ging  had  offered  for 
him  to  wreak  his  vengeance  on  was  now  in  the 
loving  embrace  of  Choy  Suey?  And  as  she 
worked  far  into  the  morning  hours,  to  make  up 
for  lost  time,  it  seemed  to  Ging  that  the  clatter- 
20 


THE  DOLL  OF  THE  WHITE  DEVILS 

ing  machine  took  up  the  question,  and  asked 
of  her,  of  Joss,  of  all  within  hearing,  "What 
does  it  mean?  What  does  it  mean?" 

The  question  was  never  answered,  and  Choy 
Suey  is  looked  upon  with  awe  by  the  mothers 
of  the  Chinese  Quarter,  as  the  child  for  whom 
Joss  worked  a  miracle. 


21 


The  Exiles 


ANTON  was  awakening.  On  the 
river  the  boat  people  were  bestir- 
ring themselves;  in  the  city  the 
gates  had  been  opened,  and  from 
one  house  after  another  came  sounds  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  day's  work. 

In  a  little  shop,  quite  undisturbed  by  the 
noise  of  his  neighbors,  an  old  man  was  waiting 
for  the  happiest  moment  of  his  day.  His  gar- 
ments were  of  faded  blue  cotton;  his  hands,  face, 
and  shaven  forehead  were  like  an  old  ivory 
carving;  his  expression  and  attitude  were  full 
of  peace  and  dignity.  In  some  strange  way  a 
ray  of  sunshine  managed  to  struggle  down  be- 
tween the  buildings  through  the  dark  street  into 
the  little  shop.  Then  Wong  Yuen  uncovered  the 
cage  of  his  pet  lark,  and  as  the  bird,  in  the 

23 


THE    EXILES 

feeble  sunlight  of  the  city,  swelled  its  throat  and 
sang  of  the  country  warmth,  the  pure  air,  and 
the  perfume  of  flowers,  he  was  no  longer  an 
old  man,  a  seal  engraver  of  Canton,  but  a  boy 
who  roamed  the  fields  of  his  native  province, 
listening  to  the  larks  as  they  arose  singing  from 
the  grass  at  his  feet. 

The  song  continued  joyously,  and  he  was  a 
young  man,  watching  the  coming  of  the  proces- 
sion bringing  to  him  his  bride.  The  sunlight 
glittered  on  the  red  sedan-chair  as  it  was  borne 
along  the  road,  and  mingling  with  and  sweeten- 
ing the  wedding  music  was  the  song  of  larks. 
Louder  and  happier  caroled  the  bird,  and  the 
old  man  smiled,  and  bent  his  arm  as  if  it  felt 
again  the  weight  of  his  little  son  as  he  carried 
him  out  of  doors  to  see  the  larks.  How  the 
child  laughed  with  delight,  and  put  out  his  baby 
hands  to  catch  them,  as  they  took  flight,  singing 
as  they  went! 

The  sunlight  crept  away,  the  song  grew  sad, 
and  the  old  man  saw  an  angry  river  overflowing 
24 


THE    EXILES 

its  banks  and  destroying  all  in  its  path.  He  saw 
hunger  come  to  his  home,  and  when,  after  a  long 
fight,  it  was  driven  away,  he  saw  another  pro- 
cession with  its  escort  of  lanterns  and  banners. 
Again  he  heard  music, — funeral  music, — again 
she  who  had  come  in  the  gay  red  chair  was  car- 
ried along  the  road,  again  the  larks  sang — sang 
at  her  grave. 

Softly  sang  the  bird,  almost  a  whispered  song, 
for  it  was  of  the  love  of  the  old  man's  son  for 
the  beautiful  Pearl,  and  of  his  sorrow,  for  the 
beautiful  Pearl  could  be  won  only  by  a  man  of 
wealth  and  position.  Into  the  soft  song  came 
a  note  of  pain.  A  father  and  son  were  parting, 
for  the  son  was  to  study  for  literary  honors, 
while  the  father,  who  was  skilled  in  carving, 
worked  for  money  in  the  distant  city.  With  a 
bird  in  a  cage  he  began  his  journey,  and  soon 
the  lark  country  was  left  behind.  To  the  exiles 
in  the  little  shop  in  Canton  came  mandarins 
and  merchants  whose  seals  must  be  engraved, 
and  fame  and  money  followed  their  visits.  With 

25 


THE    EXILES 

the  work  of  the  old  man's  hands  weighty  docu- 
ments were  signed.  The  bird  sang  to  the  man, 
the  man  read  letters  to  the  bird,  letters  which 
told  that  all  was  well. 

The  song  became  loud  again,  and  very  sweet, 
and  ended  gloriously.  The  old  man  roused  him- 
self, and  took  from  his  sleeve  the  last  letter, 
the  one  which  said  that  the  first  degree  had  been 
taken,  the  money  had  been  counted,  and  these 
things  being  satisfactory  to  the  father  of  the 
beautiful  Pearl,  she  had  been  promised  to  the 
writer,  the  old  man's  son.  Wong  Yuen  smiled, 
but  the  eyes  behind  the  big  round  spectacles 
grew  dim.  "  The  gods  are  good,"  said  he  as  he 
rose  feebly,  "they  do  not  forget.  And  neither 
do  you  and  I  forget,  Sweet  Throat;  we  think 
of  the  land  of  the  larks  whence  we  came.  Try 
your  wings,  my  treasure,  for  the  gods  have 
promised  that  we  shall  return.  Perhaps  it  will 
come  soon,  the  dream,  for  our  work  here  seems 
almost  done." 

While  the  bird  flew  around  the  room  the  old 

26 


THE    EXILES 

man  began  to  work,  but  even  in  the  best  light 
and  through  the  big  spectacles  the  seal  looked 
dim  and  far  away.  He  put  down  his  tools,  and 
placed  food  in  the  cage,  and  when  the  bird  went 
back  after  it  he  shut  the  door.  "  To-night,  Sweet 
Throat,  you  will  sing  at  the  temple.  After  the 
festival  I  shall  pray  for  the  dream;  the  god  has 
said  that  he  will  send  it  in  time.  He  will  not 
forget  that  we  have  offered  him  sacrifices  and 
song  through  all  the  years." 

Then  the  old  man  set  resolutely  to  work  on 
the  seal.  He  must  see  more  clearly,  his  hands 
must  steady  themselves,  for  it  might  be  the  last 
work  he  would  do,  and  it  must  be  good.  All 
day  he  engraved  the  lines,  slowly,  carefully,  with 
never  a  slip,  never  a  false  cut.  At  evening  he 
laid  aside  the  seal,  and,  as  was  the  custom,  went 
into  the  street  and  burned  candles  and  incense 
to- the  god  of  wealth,  who  sat  enshrined  in  a 
niche  outside  of  the  shop. 

The  ceremony  over,  he  took  the  lark  in  its 
covered  cage  and  started  for  the  temple.  As 
27 


"HE   TOOK    THE   LARK    IN    ITS   COVERED   CAGE   AND 
STARTED  FOR  THE  TEMPLE." 


THE    EXILES 

he  approached  he  saw  others,  evidently  on  the 
same  errand,  and  when  they  entered  there  were 
still  more  who  had  preceded  them.  Hundreds 
of  cages  hung  on  bamboos  around  the  brilliantly 
lighted  room,  and  those  of  the  later  arrivals 
were  added  to  the  number.  From  the  altar  the 
god  smiled  through  the  incense  smoke  on  his 
worshipers;  that  he  had  helped  many  of  them 
might  be  seen  from  the  numerous  gilded  tablets 
which  the  grateful  ones  had  placed  on  the 
temple  walls.  His  devotees  had  planned  this 
festival  to  do  him  honor.  When  all  was  ready 
the  cages  were  uncovered,  and  the  birds,  at  the 
sudden  change  from  darkness  to  light,  began  to 
sing,  and  a  marvelous  concert  was  the  result. 
No  wonder  the  kindly  god  appeared  to  smile  as 
he  listened!  When  the  songsters'  voices  gave 
out,  the  cages  were  covered  and  taken  away  by 
their  owners.  Old  Wong  Yuen  was  very  tired 
when  he  reached  home,  but  very  happy. 

The  next  day,  after  the  lark's  morning  song, 
the  old  man  worked  again  on  the  seal,  and  in 
29 


THE    EXILES 

the  evening  he  took  the  bird  to  the  temple.  On 
the  third  day  the  seal  was  finished,  and  after  the 
songs  of  the  third  evening  the  festival  came  to 
an  end  with  a  procession  in  honor  of  the  god. 

Wong  Yuen  carried  the  lark  home,  but  re- 
turned alone  to  the  temple,  now  quiet  and  dark. 
He  lighted  the  candles  and  incense  he  had 
brought  with  him,  and  prostrating  himself  be- 
fore the  god  offered  his  prayer. 

"Oh,  beneficent  one!  when  this  poor  man  came 
to  gain  wealth  that  his  son  might  have  his  heart's 
desire,  a  great  god  promised  that  here  he  should 
not  die.  Beneficent  one!  the  man  grows  feeble, 
the  land  of  the  larks,  which  his  eyes  would  see 
once  more,  is  far  away.  Has  not  the  time  come 
when  the  promised  dream  may  warn  him  to  set 
forth?" 

The  prayer  ended,  he  lay  down  on  the  floor 
before  the  altar,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  The 
candles  had  burnt  out,  but  the  incense  still 
smoldered  when  he  awoke  in  the  gray  light  of 
the  morning,  his  old  face  illumined  with  happi- 
30 


THE    EXILES 

ness.  The  dream  had  been  given  him.  From  a 
dim  corner  of  the  temple  had  come  a  bat,  a  good 
omen,  a  "rat  of  happiness,"  and  circled  around 
the  altar.  The  god  raised  his  hand,  pointing, 
and  as  the  bat  flew  out  of  the  door  Wong  Yuen 
understood  that  he  was  to  follow.  So,  lying 
there  on  the  cold  floor,  the  old  man  dreamt 
that  he  followed  the  bat  as  it  fluttered  ahead  of 
him  and  led  the  way  to  the  land  of  the  larks. 
The  bat  dropped  to  the  earth,  and  from  the  spot 
a  lark  arose,  and  Wong  Yuen  watched  it  dis- 
appear, a  speck  in  the  sky.  Then  he  seemed  to 
see  the  god  again,  and  still  the  finger  pointed  to 
the  old  man  to  follow. 

Wong  Yuen  thanked  the  god  with  many  pros- 
trations. Then  he  hurried  back  to  the  shop 
where  the  lark  awaited  his  coming  with  little 
cries  for  food.  After  he  and  the  bird  had  break- 
fasted the  old  man  set  the  small  room  in  order, 
and  prepared  for  the  journey.  The  customer 
came  for  the  seal;  Wong  Yuen  went  out  and 
settled  his  affairs;  but  it  was  yet  morning  when 


THE    EXILES 


he  and  the  bird  left  Canton.  For  several  days 
he  traveled,  sometimes  by  boat,  sometimes  on 
foot,  resting  at  night  where  he  found  shelter. 
His  strength  grew  less,  but  he  was  happy;  had 
he  not  the  promise  of  the  god  that  he  should  see 
his  home  again?  There  was  no  need  to  notify 
his  son  of  his  coming,  for  it  would  be  the  time 
of  the  festival  of  the  dead,  and  he  would  be  at 
the  old  home  to  offer  sacrifices  at  the  family 

tombs. 

At  last 
they  came 

to  the  land 
V^%f  the  larks, 
and  the  pris- 
oner in  the  cage 
answered  the  songs 
of  his  kindred.     "Ah! 
._**--••*'   Sweet  Throat,"  said  the  old 
man,    "may   your   freedom 
seem  good  to  you.    As  good 
as  mine  will  be  to  me,  for 

"SLOWLY  HE  CLIMBED  THK  HILL." 


THE    EXILES 

it  is  coming  soon  to  us  both."  Slowly  he  climbed 
the  hill,  knowing  well  what  he  should  see 
from  the  top.  In  the  old  days  it  had  never  been 
so  steep;  he  was  tired,  and  the  cage  felt  heavy. 
At  the  crest  of  the  hill  he  seated  himself;  the 
way  had  been  long,  but  he  had  reached  home,  for 
there  before  him  was  the  country  where  the  hap- 
piest part  of  his  life  had  been  passed.  There  was 
the  road  along  which  the  little  bride  had  come, 
there  was  the  house  in  which  she  had  lived, 
there,  just  over  the  top  of  the  hill,  was  the  tomb 
where  she  was  buried.  He  would  go  there  first, 
and  rest  before  he  went  on  to  the  village. 

The  weeds  had  been  cleared  away,  from  the 
grave,  and  it  had  been  made  neat  in  preparation 
for  the  festival.  "The  boy  is  faithful,"  thought 
Wong  Yuen,  "my  spirit  will  not  be  neglected." 

The  larks  were  singing  as  he  approached  the 
tomb  and  leaned  wearily  against  it.  He  bent  his 
forehead  to  the  ground.  "I  thank  the  gods  that 
I  am  here,"  he  said.  Then  he  sat  quietly  think- 
ing and  listening  to  the  larks. 

33 


THE    EXILES 

The  shadows  were  long  when  with  a  trem- 
bling hand  he  opened  the  door  of  the  cage. 
"The  time  is  here;  go,  Sweet  Throat,"  he  said. 
The  bird  hesitated,  then  darted  through  the  door, 
but  after  a  short  flight  returned  to  Wong  Yuen, 
and  perched  on  his  hand.  The  old  man  smiled. 
"Let  us  go  together,  then,"  he  said  softly,  and 
as  the  lark  flew  singing  to  the  sky,  the  old  man's 
head  fell  on  his  breast,  and  his  soul  rose  to 
wander  among  the  genii. 

When  the  son  of  Wong  Yuen  went  to  sacrifice 
at  the  tomb  he  found  there  the  body  of  his 
father  and  the  cage  of  the  lark,  from  which  the 
gentle  spirits  had  gone. 


See  Wah's  New  Year 


LITTLE    See  Wah   lay   on    the 
ground  in  the  shadow  of  a 
mat  fastened  to  a  low 
wall,  while  out  un- 
der   the    merci- 
less   sun     his 
father      and 
elder  broth- 
ers  were   de- 
stroying      the 
only    home    he 
had     ever     known; 
they  were  tearing  down 
the  mud  brick  walls  to 
obtain    the    timbers    which    held 
them    together.      His   mother   was 
picking  up  small  splinters,  and  put- 
ting them  under  the  kettle  where  the 
last  food  they  had  was  simmering,  try- 
ing meanwhile  to  quiet  the  fretting  baby 

35 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

who  toddled  after  her.  There  were  not  enough 
splinters  thoroughly  to  cook  the  food,  and  there 
was  not  nearly  enough  food  to  satisfy  See  Wah 
when  it  came  his  turn.  His  share  was  the  small- 
est, for  the  famished  little  baby  and  the  elders 
who  were  able  to  work  must  be  fed  first.  He, 
stronger  than  the  baby,  yet  not  big  enough  to 
work,  could  have  only  enough  to  keep  him  from 
starvation.  But  even  this  small  allowance  was 
a  comfort,  for  it  enabled  him  to  fall  into  a 
troubled  doze,  half  waking,  half  sleeping.  He 
wondered  how  it  would  seem  to  have  enough  to 
eat.  His  oldest  brother  could  remember  when 
it  had  rained,  when  the  sun  had  not  scorched 
every  growing  thing,  when  there  had  been  plenty 
of  rice  and  millet,  and  occasionally  even  pork 
or  chicken  to  eat.  Then,  to  See  Wah,  food 
seemed  to  come:  delicious  sprouted  beans,  rice, 
chicken,  pork,  bean-cakes,  tea — a  feast!  But 
even  the  dream-feast  was  snatched  from  him  by 
a  new  sound,  different  from  the  crumbling  of 
the  bricks,  and  the  low-spoken  words  of  his 

36 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW    YEAR 

parents  and  brothers — the  voice  of  a  man.  He 
opened  his  eyes,  and  saw  a  neighbor,  Chan  Yee, 
approaching. 

"Ah!  venerable  elder  brother,"  said  the  new- 
comer, bowing  and  clasping  his  hands,  "what  do 
you  to  your  honorable  mansion?" 

"My  miserable  hut  contains  wooden  beams," 
said  the  father,  "and  the  beams  I  sell  for  food, 
lest  I  and  my  sons  become  immortal,  and  none 
be  left  to  worship  the  ancestors  and  the  gods." 

"To  teach  your  honorable  eldest  son  to  wor- 
ship the  ancestors  is  good;  but  the  gods  have 
failed  us.  Either  the  god  over  there  in  the  tem- 
ple is  deaf,  or  he  thinks  we  deceive  him.  For, 
notwithstanding  our  prayers,  the  sky  is  cloudless, 
no  rain  comes,  and  we  starve.  To-day  I  eat  the 
food  bought  with  my  door,  which  was  of  good 
wood  and  strong;  to-morrow  I  shall  eat  the 
beams  of  my  house,  as  my  venerable  brother  does 
now;  for  the  day  after  there  is  nothing.  Let  us 
therefore  go  to  the  temple,  and  carry  the  god 
from  the  cool  shade  out  into  the  sunlight.  Let 

37 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

him  feel  the  burning  rays,  and  know  whether  or 
not  we  lie !" 

See  Wah  listened  while  Chan  Yee  pleaded 
and  threatened,  and  at  last  persuaded  his  father. 
His  mother  ventured  a  word  of  protest,  but  her 
husband  would  not  heed.  And,  with  a  beam 
over  his  shoulder,  he  started  with  Chan  Yee  for 
the  village,  to  bring  the  god  to  his  senses,  and 
to  buy  food  for  their  families. 

No  sooner  had  they  gone  than  the  poor  woman 
threw  herself  on  the  ground,  terrified  at  their 
impiety.  "Kwan-yin,"  she  cried,  "spare  us! 
Goddess  of  mercy,  listen  to  a  woman's  prayer! 
If  the  men  anger  the  village  god,  do  you,  Kwan- 
yin,  merciful  to  women  and  children,  save  us 
from  his  wrath.  Kwan-yin,"  she  moaned,  "oh, 
Kwan-yin!" 

"Who  calls  on  Kwan-yin?" 

To  the  frightened  woman  it  seemed  that  the 
goddess  herself  spoke  in  answer  to  her  prayer, 
and  she  knocked  her  forehead  on  the  earth,  not 
daring  to  look  up. 

38 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

"Look  at  me,  little  fool,  and  you  will  see  that 
I  am  not  Kwan-yin,"  said  the  voice. 

"Truly,"  said  the  mother,  whose  children 
crowded  around  her,  pulling  at  her  blouse  to 
make  her  rise,  "truly,  Kwan-yin  speaks  hot 
Cantonese." 

The  stranger  replied:  "Why  not  the  dialect 
of  Canton  as  well  as  yours?  Yet,  if  a  manner  of 
speech  could  make  a  goddess,  then  might  I  be 
Kwan-yin;  for,  as  your  ears  tell  you,  I  can  speak 
as  do  you.  But  look,  little  foolish  one!  I  am 
but  a  mortal,  called  Chang  Foon.  Was  ever 
goddess  pockmarked  as  I?" 

The  mother  at  last  raised  herself,  and  beheld 
a  woman  with  a  pitted,  ugly  face,  but  who  was 
fat  and  well  dressed — from  which  it  was  evident 
that  she  did  not  belong  to  the  famine-stricken 
province.  The  stranger  saw  in  the  situation  the 
opportunity  she  sought,  and  continued:  "Sit 
here,  little  one,  and  listen,  for  Kwan-yin  has  sent 
me.  both  to  give  and  to  receive  help.  I  have 
money  and  food,  but  I  am  poor;  you  hunger, 
39 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

yet  you  are  rich;  for  you  have  husband  and 
children,  while  I  am  a  childless  widow.  I  have 
crossed  the  ocean  to  bury  my  husband, — he  was 
of  Canton, — and  hearing  that  famine  was  here 
in  the  province  where  I  was  born,  I  have  come 
to  buy  a  child  to  be  his  son,  that  he  be  not  neg- 
lected in  the  spirit  world.  Give  me  one  of  your 
boys,  and  I  will  give  you  silver.  Let  us  make 
the  exchange,  little  one,  and  thank  Kwan-yin 
that  each  can  supply  the  other's  need." 

The  mother  drew  See  Wah  close  to  her. 
"Across  the  ocean?"  she  said. 

"Yes,"  said  the  stranger.  "Across  the  ocean 
there  is  silver  and  gold,  and  one  never  starves. 
In  the  midst  of  the  foreign  devils'  city  there  is 
a  little  Canton,  and  from  there  the  smoke  of  the 
sacrifices  goes  up  the  same  as  from  the  Flowery 
Land.  There  we  will  stay,  the  boy  and  I,  until 
we  have  gold  and  silver  to  last  us  always ;  then 
we  will  return,  he  to  marry,  and  I  to  spend  my 
old  age  with  my  rich  son  and  my  beautiful 
daughter-in-law." 

40 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

The  stranger  paused,  well  pleased  with  the 
effect  of  her  story.  If  part  of  it  happened  to  be 
fiction,  what  was  the  difference,  so  that  it  served 
her  purpose  better  than  truth? 

The  mother  sighed.  "The  oldest  and  the 
youngest  cannot  go;  it  must  then  be  See  Wah," 
and  again  she  caressed  the  child.  "Will  you 
go?"  she  asked,  as  she  held  him. 

"Does  it  rain  there?"  questioned  the  boy;  "and 
can  I  feel  the  drops  fall?" 

"You  shall  go  out  in  the  rain  every  day,"  re- 
plied the  stranger. 

"And  I  shall  always  have  plenty  to  eat?" 

"So  much  that  your  arms  will  be  tired  bring- 
ing it  home  to  be  cooked." 

"Then  I  will  go,"  said  See  Wah,  standing  up 
very  tall  and  straight,  for  he  felt  the  envious  eyes 
of  his  brothers  upon  him. 

"And  the  venerable  father,"  said  the  stranger, 
"will  he  give  permission?" 

"Ah.  gladly,"  sighed  the  mother,  well  know- 
ing that  he  would  eagerly  seize  the  chance  to 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

rid  himself  of  one  hungry  child,  with  the  addi- 
tional advantage  of  providing  for  the  others. 
"He  has  gone  to  punish  the  village  god.  When 
he  returns  I  will  tell  him  what  Kwan-yin,  the 
merciful,  has  done  for  us." 

The  stranger  opened  her  bag  and  shared  her 
repast  with  the  mother  and  the  little  ones;  and 
when  the  father  and  Chan  Yee  walked  back, 
tired  and  hot,  they  were  surprised  to  find  such  a 
contented  group.  The  stranger  stated  her  case, 
and  the  men  went  off  to  consider  it. 

"Of  course  all  this  talk  about  Kwan-yin  is 
woman's  nonsense,"  said  Chan  Yee,  "but  the 
price  she  offers  is  good,  and  my  venerable  elder 
brother  has  other  sons.  And  even  if  we  do  suc- 
ceed in  making  the  god  send  rain,  he  will  some- 
time forget,  and  there  will  again  be  famine.  Let 
the  child  go;  he  can  be  no  worse  off,  whatever 
happens." 

"My  honored  friend  speaks  wisdom.     Let  us 
tell  the  women  we  have  settled   it,"   said  the 
father,  who  was  a  man  of  few  words. 
42 


SEE    WAH'S    NEW   YEAR 

So  little  See  Wah  went  away  with  the  stranger, 
Chan  Yee  being  witness  that  she  had  adopted 
him  as  her  own  son.  They  journeyed  slowly, to 
Canton,  the  woman,  Chang  Foon,  becoming 
harder  and  sterner  to  the  child  as  the  distance 
lengthened  between  him  and  the  home  he  had 
left. 

She  insisted  that  he  should  learn  the  dialect 
of  Canton  instead  of  his  own,  and  when  at  last 
they  were  on  board  the  great  steamer  the  reason 
for  this  was  explained  to  See  Wah.  He  was  to 
be  smuggled  into  the  land  of  the  "foreign  devils" 
as  Chang  Foon's  own  child,  who  had  been  born 
there,  and  he  must  learn,  in  Cantonese,  a  cate- 
chism which  should  prove  the  truth  of  their 
story  to  any  "foreign  devil"  who  might  question 
his  right  to  land.  But  if  the  child  should  fail,  the 
"foreign  devil"  would  kill  him  at  once.  No 
wonder  that,  under  such  threats,  poor  little  See 
Wah  was  diligent,  and  repeated  "Califo'nia,  San 
Francisco,  Dupon'  Stleet,"  until  he  knew  them 
perfectly.  Then  he  learned  on  which  streets  the 

43 


SEE    WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

cable  cars  go  uphill,  and  on  which  they  go 
down,  and  other  details  calculated  to  make  the 
"white  devil"  believe  that  See  Wah  had  seen 
these  things  with  his  own  eyes,  instead  of 
through  the  eyes  of  Chang  Foon. 

After  many  days  the  jar  of  the  steamers  en- 
gines ceased,  and  See  Wah  was  told  that  the  time 
of  his  ordeal  had  come.  Being  anxious  to  keep 
the  breath  of  life  in  his  little  body,  he  heard 
nothing,  saw  nothing,  of  the  excitement  of  going 
ashore,  but  fixed  his  mind  on  his  lessons,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  else.  A  "foreign  devil"  ques- 
tioned, not  unkindly;  and  See  Wah  answered 
creditably,  and  then  he  was  in  a  wagon  with 
Chang  Foon,  rattling  over  the  cobble-stones  of 
Chinatown.  The  wagon  stopped  in  a  narrow 
alley,  the  woman  and  boy  took  their  bundles 
and  entered  a  house.  Up  they  went,  climbing 
stairway  after  stairway,  dark  and  steep.  Finally 
Chang  Foon  opened  a  door,  and  went  into  a 
small  room.  She  seated  herself,  and  addressed 
See  Wah. 

44 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

"All  this  trouble  and  expense  to  keep  the  soul 
of  a  man  in  good  humor!  I  bought  you  to  wait 
upon  your  master,  who  is  dead,  and  upon  me. 
You  know  nothing;  here  is  your  teacher,"  and 
she  took  a  stick  from  a  corner  and  struck  the 
child.  "Has  that  taught  you  enough  to  go  out 
and  buy  something  to  eat?" 

See  Wah,  astonished  and  in  pain,  started  for 
the  door.  The  woman  added  some  directions, 
and  gave  him  a  little  money.  He  was  fortunate 
enough  to  do  the  errand  as  she  wished,  and  after 
the  meal  he  was  permitted  to  go  to  bed  on  a  pile 
of  rags.  The  next  morning  the  instruction  be- 
gan again.  See  Wah  learned  to  work,  to  run 
errands  in  all  weather,  to  wait  on  the  living, 
and  to  burn  incense  and  sacrifice  to  the  dead. 
There  were  just  two  pleasant  things  in  his  life — 
the  glimpses  from  the  balcony  into  the  alley, 
and  the  fact  that  he  had  enough  to  eat,  for 
Chang  Foon  kept  her  word  in  that  respect,  and 
though  the  food  was  plain  the  child  was  never 
hungry. 

45 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

The  time  passed,  until  came  the  Feast  of  the 
Three  Beginnings — of  the  year,  the  months, 
and  the  days.  See  Wah  watched  the  prepara- 
tions with  interest,  and  did  the  marketing  with 
all  possible  speed  that  he  might  have  time  to 
linger  on  the  streets,  where  little  stalls  were 
being  set  up  along  the  edge  of  the  sidewalks, 
for  the  sale  of  sweetmeats,  oranges,  and  the  beau- 
tiful yellow  and  white  narcissus,  which  seemed 
too  pure  a  thing  to  have  grown  in  Chinatown. 
The  merchants  were  busy  settling  accounts,  and 
decorating  the  fronts  of  their  shops  with  the 
large  New  Year's  lanterns.  Everything  was 
made  ready,  and  the  population  of  the  Chinese 
quarter,  augmented  by  every  Chinaman  in  the 
city  or  surrounding  country  who  could  leave 
his  work,  began  to  celebrate  the  great  holiday. 
New  Year's  Eve  was  given  to  worship,  and  then 
commenced  a  festival  of  several  days,  during 
which  no  business  was  transacted,  little  work 
done,  and  men,  women,  and  children,  dressed  in 
their  best,  devoted  themselves  to  pleasure. 


SEE   WAH'S    NEW    YEAR 

As  there  was  no  work,  Chang  Foon  sent  See 
Wah  out  on  the  balcony  while  she  gossiped  with 
her  neighbors  and  smoked  cigarettes,  and  drank 
samshu.  The  child  spent  the  day  peering  into 
the  alley.  He  studied  the  balconies  below  and 
the  adjoining  houses  as  he  had  never  had  time 
to  do.  before.  He  felt  very  lonely,  for  the  sight 
of  the  gayly  dressed  children,  carrying  their 
New  Year's  presents,  sent  his  thoughts  to  his 
home,  where,  if  there  was  lack  of  food,  there 
was  also  a  mother  to  be  sorry  about  it. 

At  dusk  the  lanterns  were  some  company.  It 
was  cheering  to  watch  them  blaze  out,  one  after 
another,  into  spots  of  red  or  white  light.  Then 
the  firecrackers  began  to  snap  and  rattle,  and 
the  musicians  at  the  theatre  on  the  street  opposite 
the  entrance  to  the  alley  tuned  up,  and  the  horns 
tooted,  and  the  fiddles  squeaked  unceasingly. 
See  Wah  thought  it  might  be  possible  to  enjoy 
the  New  Year  if  one  did  not  belong  to  an  ill- 
tempered,  ugly-faced  woman,  and  if  one  could 
live  in  a  room  where  there  was  no  stick  kept  in 

47 


SEE   WAH'S    NEW   YEAR 

the  corner.  If  only  he  could  run  away!  The 
boldness  of  this  idea  frightened  him,  yet  he  was 
fascinated  by  it,  and  thought  and  planned  until 
he  was  tired.  Then,  realizing  the  hopelessness 
of  it  all,  he  leaned  his  head  on  the  balcony  rail, 
and  cried  softly,  very  softly,  for  was  not  Chang 
Foon  just  inside? 

Suddenly  he  raised  his  head  to  listen.  What 
was  coming  up  the  street?  The  thud  of  a  drum, 
the  strumming  of  guitars,  and  singing.  "Foreign 
devil's"  music;  yet  the  words  of  the  song  were 
Chinese,  and  it  was  all  about  being  happy!  See 
Wah  could  only  listen,  but  the  people  on  the 
street  watched  the  little  company  march  up  the 
hill  and  take  its  stand  at  the  corner  of  the  alley. 
Chinese  members  of  the  Salvation  Army  they 
were,  and  when  the  song  came  to  an  end  (to  ears 
not  Chinese  it  was  painfully  far  from  the  tune 
and  key),  a  young  Chinaman  began  to  speak. 
He  was  very  much  in  earnest,  and  not  to  be 
discouraged  by  the  jeers  of  his  countrymen.  He 
did  not  seem  to  hear  the  merchant  who,  as  he 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

passed,  said  in  English,  "Lies,  he  talks  lies!"- 
but  he  kept  bravely  on  in  the  hope  that  some  one 
might  hear  and  be  helped.  "Come,  ye  that  are 
weary,  come  and  find  rest.  Come  now,  at  the 
New  Year.  For  the  lonely,  for  the  sad,  there 
is  comfort,  there  is  happiness." 

To  little  See  Wah,  up  on  the  balcony,  it 
seemed  that  every  word  was  meant  for  him. 
The  voice  continued,  urging  him  to  flee  from 
evil  (that  was  Chang  Foon)  and  promising  joy 
and  a  home.  The  child  glanced  into  the  room 
where  Chang  Foon  had  fallen  asleep  over  the 
samshu,  and  turning  to  the  balcony  looked 
hesitatingly  over  it.  He  could  climb  down,  he 
knew;  he  had  studied  it  out  that  afternoon.  But 
the  house  was  high,  the  street  was  far  away,  and 
he  was  small.  Again  came  the  call:  "Oh,  my 
brother,  do  not  wait;  now  is  the  time,  now  is  the 
day!"  Then,  in  See  Wah's  own  dialect,  the  long 
unheard  speech  of  his  mother,  the  orator  added: 
"Come,  my  brother,  cornel" 

The  child  hesitated  no  longer.     Over  the  rail 

49 


SEE   WAR'S    NEW   YEAR 

he  climbed,  and  swung  himself  upon  the  balcony 
of  the  next  house.  Fortunately,  there  was  no 
one  there.  He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  started 
on  the  next  descent.  So  he  zigzagged  back  and 
forth  until  he  reached  the  balcony  nearest  the 
street.  One  terrible  moment,  and,  with  the  help 
of  a  leader-pipe,  he  was  safely  on  the  little  porch 
over  the  door.  From  there  he  must  drop  to  the 
street.  He  was  lame  when  he  picked  himself 
up,  but  he  limped  to  the  corner,  where  the  Sal- 
vationists were  singing  their  farewell  song.  He 
touched  the  sleeve  of  the  young  man  who  had 
spoken,  and  gasped :  "Venerable  elder  brother, 
I  come!  Hide  me  before  the  little  pockmarked 
one  awakes!" 

It  was  no  new  thing  to  rescue  a  miserable 
child  from  Chinatown,  and  the  young  man  had 
long  had  his  plans  laid  in  case  he  should  ever 
meet  a  chance  to  save  one.  Taking  his  knife 
from  his  pocket,  he  cut  a  long  slit  in  the  head  of 
the  big  drum,  and  pushed  little  See  Wah  inside. 
Then,  singing  louder  than  ever,  he  gave  the  sig- 

50 


SEE   WAH'S    NEW   YEAR 

nal,  and  the  little  band  marched  down  the  hill 
toward  the  barracks. 

At  Kearny  Street  a  close  observer  might  have 
thought  that  the  drummer  was  tired,  for  he 
carried  the  drum  as  if  it  were  heavy,  and,  al- 
though his  arm  went  through  the  motions,  his 
blows  were  inaudible.  Possibly  the  flag  was  in 
his  way,  for  it  drooped  low  over  the  side  of 
the  drum  in  quite  an  unusual  manner.  But  the 
voices  were  triumphant,  and  the  company  en- 
tered the  barracks  singing  a  hymn  of  praise. 

And  that  New  Year  there  was  a  fourth  begin- 
ning— the  beginning  of  a  new  life  for  little  See 
Wah. 


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